One of my favorite things to do is to scout out health food or gourmet food stores for new gluten-free products. You never know what you’ll find on a strange shelf, hidden among the gluten-filled goods. I’ve found some of my favorite gluten-free products on these grocery store explorations. Yesterday DH and I decided to drive South of Gilroy, California to go for a hike. On our way back we were hungry, and rather than braving an unknown restaurant, we decided to stop in the adorable Windmill Market in San Juan Bautista, California. I didn’t have very high expectations, to be honest, but the exterior was cute and somehow I had a feeling that there might be something worthwhile inside. Imagine my delight when first thing in the door I found a gluten-free Mariposa brownie bar lurking in with their baked goods. As we went through the store, I kept finding more gluten-free goodies. They had a good selection of gluten-free baking mixes like Pamela’s Pancake Mix and Cake mixes, as well as a stellar selection of Bumble Energy Bars and Larabars. I almost cried in the freezer case when I found gluten-free Kinnikinnick vanilla donuts, gluten-free Azna Cinnamon Rolls, and even a gluten-free artisanal bread. However, the real star of the trip for me was the new Gluten-free Napoli Herb Old World Rustic Crust, in a sealed plastic bag in the Italian food section. It wasn’t frozen, it wasn’t refrigerated- and it actually looked like a gluten crust. This all-natural, dairy-free crust had the following description…
We hand-knead fresh parsley, basil and roasted garlic into our artisanal dough to deliver perfectly blended flavor in every bite.

I was given pause by the fact that they also make a gluten-based crust, but i resolved to check online to see if I could find out anything about their manufacturing process. I crossed my fingers and bought the crust. My bet paid off. When I checked the Rustic Crust web page it blankly states that the gluten-free crust is “made in the USA in a gluten free facility.” Music to my ears. Anyway, I made off with my crust and used it the very next day in a delicious Marguerita Pizza. (Topped with some organic, heirloom Tigerella tomatoes grown on my very own balcony, I might add. YUM!)

DH’s verdict? “Hey, this is as good as pre-made gluten-crust!” Yup. It was a hit. I liked it a lot myself- and thought that it was one of the few pre-made gluten-free crusts that I would actually buy again, if I can find it closer to our area. Tasty and so easy! If your local store doesn’t carry it you can also buy it through them directly, if you don’t mind paying shipping. These dairy-free crusts are a real find, and I’ll definitely seek them out in my local stores. (C’mon Whole Foods, don’t let me down!) The only catch is- they do contain soy flour AND soy oil so are not suitable for those with soy intolerance. If you can do soy, though, they are tasty little crusts and I highly recommend them! *Update: This formula also contains EGGS, but apparently they are working on an egg-free version, so stay tuned. :) (See comments for more info on this.)

Is it me or has there been an explosion of new, high-quality gluten-free products on the market lately? I’ve found so many new products lately I’m stuck in perpetual happy-dancing mode. What is YOUR favorite gluten-free product find? Share in the comments!

Looks good! I’d love to see a picture of those tomatoes. I so envy you growing your own.

Haven’t seen too many gluten-free products around these parts but I do recommend Speerville Mills( from New Brunswick) organic flours and grains. Don’t know if they are available in the States but I’ve been using the dark buckwheat flour, a Japanese varety, to make “Chapita”, a flatbread I developed that’s a cross between chapati and pita. I’d love it if you have time to try the recipe and give me your reaction. :)

I’ve been hooked on the frozen kinnikinnick crusts for ages now – best cooked directly on the rack of my oven, and nice and crispy. I passed by the Rustic Crust the other day in my supermarket (I live in NH and Shaws is major food chain with a surprisingly wide array of GF products). Just looking at them in the bag made me wonder if it would be too dry but I’ll have to give them a chance!

I am just learning about gluten-free after discovering the connection between gluten and my health problems. Now I’m wondering is there a place that lists all the types of flours that are gluten-free? It’s not always on the label.

I appreciate any help as a newbie–and I live near San Juan Bautista–this is a great reason to take a ride.

My favorite new GF find these days is the white sandwich bread from Udi’s in Denver. I’m buying it at the regular grocery store in Vail, and it’s awesome. Very light. You know how GF bread is normally a brick? Well I expected that when I picked it up and pretty much flung it through the air, it was pretty funny. It is very light and very good!

Thanks for the update, Catherine. My package listed the ingredients as “white rice flour, tapioca flour, water, soy flour, guar gum, soy oil, salt, spices, and raw cane sugar” and did not list eggs, so I’m a little confused by their reply. I wonder if they made a mistake, either on the package or in their email. Something for people to keep an eye on, if they have egg allergies or are vegan.

Ok, all. Here’s the skinny. My package did NOT list eggs, but when Catherine contacted the company they listed the ingredients as containing egg whites. I emailed the company to figure out the story and this is what they said:

“The egg-whites were inadvertently left off the ingredients list in the first round of packaging. You package should have a special sticker on it. However, that has been corrected and the current info does include egg whites. That said, STAY TUNED. We have developed a couple of other recipes that should be on the market soon with no egg..”

(My package didn’t have a sticker.) Anyway, hope not to disappoint anyone, but at least they are working on an egg-free recipe.

Hi Gina- Kinnikinnick has some great products. Their pizza dough wasn’t my favorite, but I’m addicted to their donuts and bagels. yum! Their muffins are nice, too. Not to mention k-toos…. *sigh*

Hey Angeline- Great to meet you! I’m glad you found my site. I like the Glutino *original* crackers too. (They have some new flavors I’ll be blogging about soon…) we have some pretty tasty feasts at our GF potlucks- wish you could join us!

Cecile- Welcome! You might find this list of gluten-containing and gluten-free grains useful. I know a blogger had a good list discussing the merits of different gf grains somewhere, but I can’t find it at the moment. When I do, I’ll post about it- always nice to have a refresher. For now, check this out:

I don’t know where you get your information, gfnh, but it would be good if you verified it. If you go to the Rustic Crust web page, they clearly state that the product is manufactured in a GF facility.